Ami Touma will be starring in her first feature film, "Strawberry Moon: A Love with Half a Year Left to Live" (directed by Sakai Mai), which will be released on October 17th. "I felt I had to take on the role with a strong sense of responsibility," says Toma. We spoke to her about what went on behind the scenes of filming, highlights of the movie, her dream date situation, and more.
◇What role will you be playing?
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Nao Akutagawa (published by Subarusha), which became a hot topic on TikTok as "the most tear-jerking film of the Reiwa era." It tells the story of Moe Sakurai (played by Touma), who is told she has only six months to live, and who falls in love with Hinata Sato (played by Jun Saito) for the rest of her life in the spring of her first year of high school. Hinata 13 years later will be played by Yosuke Sugino, and Takato Rei, Hinata's childhood friend and Moe's best friend, will be played by Ayami Nakajo Nakajo 13 years later.
This is Touma's first lead role in a feature film. When asked how he felt when he received the offer, he said, "I was very happy to be entrusted with the role. I felt that my acting would change the atmosphere of the film, so I felt that I had to take on the responsibility."
Regarding the character Moe, whom she plays, she describes her impression as "a bright, innocent girl who seems a little bit naive."
"I sympathized with her determination to live positively despite being told she only had six months to live, and her optimistic attitude of having so many things she wanted to do. If I were in her position, I think I would probably do my best to do what I had left undone, with no time to be sad. But in terms of personality, there were many differences between me and her. It was difficult to find the right balance to portray Moe's purity, naivety, and tendency to go a little too far."
This was his first attempt at acting without a script, and although he found it difficult at first, he says it helped him improve his acting.
"For the scenes with Hinata, played by Jun Saito, and Rei, played by Ikebata Anji, the director would give me instructions like, 'Now, have this conversation,' and I would often act along those lines, but I was able to learn improvisation and I learned a lot. It was completely different from acting with a script in mind; I was thinking about how to make the scene come across, such as timing and how to say the lines, so I think there are some things I can use in my future acting."
◇ Reuniting with Jun Saito - pay attention to the relationship between the two
Saito, who plays Hinata, also co-starred with Touma in the TV drama "Chihayafuru: Meguri" (NTV), in which Touma played the lead role. Fans of the drama are excited about their reunion in the film.
"I was happy to receive comments from people who watched 'Chihayafuru' saying, 'I can see these two together again.' Filming for 'Strawberry Moon' took place last summer, so filming for this actually came first. The relationship between the two characters is completely different from that in 'Chihayafuru,' so I hope you enjoy that as well."
In addition to the love story between these two, the play also carefully depicts the friendship between high school students and the love between family members.
"It's not just the pure love between Moe and Hinata, but also the love and friendship between parents and children, and the warmth of those connections between people, so I think it's a very moving work. Of course, there are some sad parts, such as when she only has six months to live, but I think the strength of Moe, who tries to live positively despite that, is also a highlight."
In reference to the work, when asked, "If you were told you only had six months to live, what would you do?" Touma replied, "I think I would go on a trip."
"In Japan, I would like to go to places I have never been to before, such as Yamagata and Iwate in the Tohoku region, and Ehime and Kochi in Shikoku. I want to visit as many places as possible so that I will have no regrets. I also want to see my family."
In the play, there is a beautiful scene where Moe and Hinata go to a lake to see the Strawberry Moon, but what kind of date situation would Touma dream of?
"The scene where we went to see the lake together left a strong impression on me. This scene was shot during the day, so when I saw the finished footage, I was really moved by the fantastical lake at night, created with CG. I myself have a desire to go to places with beautiful scenery and nature, so I think it would be fun if we went to a place like that together."
